Category: Livestrong

There is nothing light-hearted about cancer. However, even the most serious subjects deserve a serious party. Sometimes gathering like-minded souls together to fight a shared villain is the right thing to do. This weekend we hosted our third annual Mellow Yellow Benefit to raise a glass, and raise money and awareness for the LIVESTRONG Challenge for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

We set out to raise $5,000 by inviting people to attend our party and make a donation to LIVESTRONG as their ticket to entry. We asked for donations of services and food and beverages to keep our costs down and to be able to donate all proceeds to the Foundation. I am moved by the outpouring of generosity I found every time I asked. To date we have raised $6,000!

Three Texas spirits companies — Republic Tequila, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Treaty Oak Distilling Company — gladly donated for a third year in a row. Heck, Republic Tequila also sent two beautiful bartenders and Republic Spirit Blends to set up and staff a margarita bar! They made Twisted Margaritas. Here is the recipe:

Twisted Margarita

1 ½ ounces Republic Tequila

1 ½ ounces Republic Jalapeño-Lime Spirit Blend

1 ½ ounces Republic Prickly Pear Spirit Blend

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice Shake and pour into a rocks glass

Josh Hare, brewer at Hops & Grain, sent over 10 cases of beer on the eve of his brewery’s first anniversary.

Ed and Susan Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards donated wine for a second year in a row and came to the party to wish us well and enjoy the fun. Miguel Lecuona of Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 was a tour de force gathering four cases of donated wine from seven Texas wineries and delivered them with a smile.

The house and yard looked glamorous and the food fast fantastic thanks to Suzanne Court Catering & Events, who hustled favors to get donations of goods and services. Our photography sponsor, Steve Rogers Photography, donated his time and talent to capture the fun in our LIVESTRONG photo booth (the well lit photo booth pictures below are from Steve and the candids are fom me). Chris Brewer from the Lance Armstrong Foundation made the photo booth look official by loaning us an amazing LIVESTRONG backdrop.

Why do you ride your bike? Is it to commute to work? To get exercise? To run errands? To have fun with friends? To spend time with your kids? To lead wealthy tourists through vineyards in France? No matter what it is, you likely have a purpose for riding your bike. Here are two more purposes to add to your list.

This Sunday, May 27, is the beginning of the 1st annual Bike-To-Eat Week in Austin. This clever marketing ploy gets people off of their asses and onto their bikes to spin to participating restaurants where they will receive a 10 percent discount on booze and food. Its a great way to support the cycling community by encouraging people to ride, rather than drive, to stuff their gullets.

If biking for booze and burning off your dinner isn’t enough of a purpose for you, how about riding to kick cancer’s ass? After you get done building your quads on your ride home from Home Slice, log in to my LIVESTRONG fundraising page and make a donation. Help me give a big F@#$ YOU! to cancer. Too many of our friends and family are battling this disease and we can help them navigate the medical bills, the procedures to find a path to being a strong survivor. Do it.

OK, go eat and booze it up first. The current restaurants for Bike-to-Eat Week are:

My Mellow Yellow Benefit is coming up on Saturday, September 25. I you want to be one of the lucky ones on the invite list, all you have to do is make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation on my page.

Muddle peach slice and mint leaves in 2oz Graham’s Texas Tea. Top with still water and serve over ice.

I’ll of course get some reviews of the drinks written up after the party, but thought I’d get you good and thirsty now. If you want to try this out at home, check out this video of Eric Thorton mixing a Pepperita.

What is the official drink of the Austin Livestrong Challenge? There is one way for you to find out. Make a donation to my Livestrong campaign benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation and I’ll invite you to my bad-ass house party on Saturday, September 25 to thank you for your generous contribution to the fight against cancer.

The good folks at Treaty Oak Rum and Graham’s Texas Tea are donating their fantastic hooch and suggesting some fantastic cocktail recipes. I’m accepting donations from all other producers and distributors, so don’t be shy. Regardless of donations, there will be plenty of delicious drinks for you to choose from.

To keep you thirsty, we have the incredible DJ, el john Selector, of Thievery Corporation fame spinnin mind-melt-booty-rock. He will definitely keep your ass shakin. Check him out serving as the conguerro in this Thievery video.

Bottom line: this will be a ridiculously fun party and it supports a very important cause. Make a donation and get an invitation.